Perspectives on 187

Re “The Nightmare Is Coming True,” Commentary, Nov. 28:

Ruben Martinez should remove his self-righteous blinders. His own hate-filled column attempts to justify the irresponsibility of illegals by blaming white homeowners. He may like teaching poetry to illegals, but that hardly justifies California citizens being held responsible, instead of their home countries, for the multimillion-dollar costs of providing schooling and medical care as well as the costs of welfare and voting fraud.

Come on Martinez, lift your eyes up and turn your name-calling on the irresponsibilities of both the home countries and the illegals themselves. They need to accept their personal responsibility for controlling and educating the large families they choose to have, rather than trying to shift blame for their problems to conjured-up images of evil white homeowners.

WILLIAM N. McNAIRN

Palos Verdes

* It is refreshing to read Jorge G. Castaneda’s commentary, “Reality Bites ‘Sending’ Countries” (Nov. 25). To learn that Mexico treats undocumented Salvadorans equal to or worse than our treatment of Mexicans is an eye-opener. And to read that Latin American governments will have to negotiate the numbers of their countrymen who wish to leave means that the “If you don’t like it here, go north” attitude may change.

And the article, “Leaders Worry: After Prop. 187, the Deluge” (Nov. 26), which refers to a massive return of their citizens from the United States: This may force these governments to improve conditions for their citizens rather than ignoring their economic problems.

If this happens, Proposition 187 will have sent a message to Washington to secure our borders and one to Latin American governments to improve their citizens’ lives rather than letting the United States do it.

LARRY BRIGGS

Twentynine Palms